Business owner's reputation used to cheat people out of money

THERE has been scammers purporting to be the Australian Taxation Office, Nigerian princes, lovers and now Gladstone Bicycle Centre.

Owners of Gladstone Bicycle Centre David and Sally-Anne McIntosh said they became aware of the scam two weeks ago when a woman from Cairns called David and told him she had received an invoice from them, which wasn't really from them.

David forgot to tell Sally-Anne about the call and she was in shock when she received another call the next morning from a woman on the Gold Coast who had also received an invoice from Gladstone Bicycle Centre.

"She knew it was a scam and wanted me to know about it," Sally-Anne said.